Car sharing is a great, alternative option to owning a car, if you live in an area that can provide other means of getting to work. Car sharing is also a nice alternative to renting a car. Many major U.S. cities offer a car sharing program.
How It Works
In most cases, you can reserve the car via phone or internet and drive the car when you need it, picking it up and dropping it off in clearly marked areas. Some people who live in cities with public transport use this option, including those who don’t need to drive to get to work. The fees are low – it’s often free, with daily or hourly rates incorporating gas, insurance, or other fees. Yearly rates are also reasonable and far less than the cost of constantly gassing up your car, or making monthly car payments.
The Benefits, Green and Otherwise
Zipcar, the world’s largest car sharing program, has been around for ages and is available in America, Canada, and the U.K., with available Zipcars in Miami, Orlando, Gainesville, and Tallahassee. Some major car companies also offer a car sharing option. If you can rely on non-car options to get to work, car sharing might be for you. You can car share for weekend jaunts, and you won’t be saddled with the year-round car expenses. Car sharing is also self-serve, so there’s no need to worry about rental offices. If you’re a college student and can’t afford the many fees that come with a car, several universities have their own sharing program as well, including Florida International University and the University of Miami.
Plus, the green benefits are fantastic – one shared car takes about fifteen personal vehicles off the road, resulting in billions of gallons of gasoline and oil being saved. There are no year-round gas prices, maintenance or car insurance, because that’s all picked up by the car sharing company, or included in the daily or hourly rates.
The Downside
Some car sharing programs put limits on their mileage, so if you’re looking to car share for a road trip in which you’re driving more than, say, 200 miles a day, you may want to look into other options. These programs often charge per mile once you’re over the daily limit, where as with traditional rentals, a three-hour road trip may be expected. Also, carsharing programs don’t clean the cars in-between users, so if the previous driver was a slob, you’ll be recycling their trash. While many car sharing programs don’t allow pets or smokers, there’s no guarantee that the previous driver won’t have bent the rules, which might be annoying for allergic green travelers.
Even with those slight issues, car sharing is a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to car ownership and car rental.
